, 1887-02-18
THE HoARoeD WEALTH OF INDIA.
How the East Indian Turns Everything
He Possesses into Jcwelry.

How the East Indian Turns Everything
He Possesses into Jcwelry.
Never during its existence has India
been so rich in jewelry as now The
people are always adding to their stock.
Savings from nearly all sources are dis
posed of in this way, and these savings
are being constantly made-often at the
expense of clothing, sometimes at the ex-
pense of greater necessaries of life.
The making and the storing away of
wealth in this form is the national pc
culiarity of this country. 1t is INDUCED
in by all classes of natives. Jewelry is
regarded as the most staple kind of
wealth. and fortunes are never counted
without estimating the value of the stock
of jewelry. 1t can always be pledged or
disposed of. The market for its sale is
never closed and never depressed.
The most ignorant native who wishes
to sell a piece of jewelry knows its market
value quite well. He can scarcely be
cheated. Jewelry forms the greatest
factor in m%atrimony. The most lowly
bride has her stridhan, which is often
equal in value t. five years income of the
bridegroom. There is often a scarcity Of
clothing, sometimes a scarcity of cooking
RDbSt Btiiti IL iOt u ldi tiiit VI luliliiuiSy
but nearly always a stock of jev~elry.
The wife that has no jewelry possesses
nothing else; she canno We robbed. The
family that does moi possess jewelry is
absolutely INDECENT. One of the greatest
boasts of the jewelry owner is that his
boards cannot be taxed. A man may
own jewelry valued at a lakh of rupees
and pay no income tax. This is a source
- -.a.t -.t.f,.. I,w ...Il, So
recurring income, but it is priced more
than government paper. If it never
increases it never diminishes, " is a ma
tional saying, common among men and
women alike.
No native marriage, except among the
most impoverished, takes place without n
transfer of jewelry, and very frequently
of new jewelry. So great in value is the
new iewelry that is introduced into new
families by marriage, that we dare not
estimate it, the amount would be so fab
ulous. Truly the investment of wealth
in jewelry in India is the greatest and
most remarkable institution in the coun-
try. Every other investment sinks into
insignificance beside it.
Under no native prince or rajah of
former times has jewelry accumulated as
it has accumulated under the British
government in British India. For a cell
fury past the sacking Of towns has been
unknown; the plumber of individuals has
been greatly restrained, and wealth in the
form of jewelry has accumulated.
One-half of the people of India are
jewelry owners 1t is only when the day
of taking stock of the family jewelry
INT round, such as the occasion of u
wedding OF a great gala day, that II
stranger can form the slightest concep-
ton of the amount of wealth in the fam
lily in the form of jewelry. Amusement
at once strikes him AS he for the first
time is permitted to see the amount of
accumulated wealth.
The inventory day ia. par excellence,
the women's day. Gathered round the
iron safes. the cash boxes. the metallic
boxes, the neatly carved wooden boxes,
the delight of the women is observed
in their eyes as each pair Of golden brace
lets studded with pearls; each pair Of
diamond, or emerald, or sapphire ear
rings. each nose ring with large pearls,
massive gold chains and Il large number
of rings; extensively and even extrava-
gantly gemmed. are handed round the
family circle for admiration. And great
Is the family delieht.-Advocate of
India.